Sheet storage and dispensing container

ABSTRACT

A sheet storage and dispensing container especially for use in the storage and dispensing of photographic film in the form of sheets includes an enclosure frame and a tray slidably displaceable within the enclosure. A cover member is attached to the container and together with the container completely encloses the tray and may be opened to expose the tray. A pusher bar in the tray and biased towards the floor of the tray is coupled to the cover member by an articulated coupling such that opening of the cover results in a translational movement of the pusher bar. The tray is spring loaded in the direction of the cover member upon opening of the cover. An abutment in the front of the container holds the tray in position against the spring biasing. By lifting the tray of the abutment, the spring loading allows outward displacement of the tray for loading.

[ SHEET STORAGE AND DISPENSING CONTAINER [75] Inventor: Gabriel Kohner, I-Ievel Korazim,

Israel [73] Assignee: Amiad, Mutzarei Yiul-l972, l-level Korazim. Israel [22] Filed: Apr. 24, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 353,971

[52] US. Cl. 221/197; 221/249 [51] Int. Cl. B65II 3/02 [58] Field of Search 221/247-249,

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS United Kingdom 271/42 [451 Aug. 12, 1975 1.021.275 12/1957 Germany 221/37 Primar ExaminerRobert B. Reeves Assistant E.\aminerCharles A. Marmor Allorne), Agent, or F irmBrowdy and Neimark [57] ABSTRACT A sheet storage and dispensing container especially for use in the storage and dispensing of photographic film in the form of sheets includes an enclosure frame and a tray slidably displaceable within the enclosure. A cover member is attached to the container and together with the container completely encloses the tray and may be opened to expose the tray. A pusher bar in the tray and biased towards the floor of the tray is coupled to the cover member by an articulated coupling such that opening of the cover results in a translational movement of the pusher bar. The tray is spring loaded in the direction of the cover member upon opening of the cover. An abutment in the front of the container holds the tray in position against the spring biasing. By lifting the tray of the abutment, the spring loading allows outward displacement of the tray for loading.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SHEET STORAGE AND DISPENSING CONTAINER This invention relates to a sheet storage and dispensing container and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with a container for use in the storage and dispensing of photographic paper in the form of sheets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a container which, in daylight conditions, whilst capable of effectively storing sheets such as photographic paper can also be readily used to dispense individual sheets as required.

According to the present invention there is provided a sheet storage and dispensing container comprising a container frame, a cover member pivotally mounted with respect to the frame, a pusher bar biassed towards a floor portion of the container, an articulated coupling, linking the bar to the cover member and constraining means adapted to bear on the coupling so as to restrict the freedom of movement of the bar, the arrangement being such that a pivotal opening movement of the cover member results in a translational movement of the bar towards the cover member.

When the sheets to be stored and dispensed rest on the floor portion of the container with the pusher bar biased into contact with the outermost sheet, the translational movement of the pusher bar towards the cover member as a consequence of the pivotal opening of the cover member results in the outermost sheet being pushed out of the container by the pusher bar. This displacement of the outermost sheet is facilitated if the frictional contact between the outermost sheet and pusher bar is increased whilst the frictional contact between the outermost sheet and the subsequent sheet is reduced. The former is achieved by providing the pusher bar with a frictional surface. In the case of the latter this is automatically ensured with photographic paper by laying the pile of paper with the shiny, photosensitive surface lowermost and in this way the pusher bar contacts the upper matt surface of the sheet to be dispensed which slides outwardly on its lower smooth surface.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the container furthermore comprises a tray, displaceably located in the container and adapted to contain the sheets to be dispensed, a bar being biassed towards a floor portion, side wall portions of the tray engaging with a coupling so as to restrict the freedom of movement thereof.

Where the container is designed for the storage and dispensing of photographic paper all external surfaces of the container are formed of opaque material and are effectively'light sealed. In this case, however, a part of an external surface can be constituted by a transparent window formed of a light filtering material so as to allow for direct observation of the contents of the container without having to open the container.

One embodiment of a sheet storage and dispensing container in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double component container in accordance with the present invention with the constituent portions of one component container removed,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the constituent portions of one component container in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container in the initial pivotal opening position of its cover member,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container with its cover member fully opened and with the upper container wall shown cut away, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container with the upper wall shown cut away and with its constituent tray shown partially withdrawn.

As seen in the drawings the container comprises a container frame 1 consisting of side walls 2 and upper and lower walls 3. The container shown in FIG. 1 is a double component container and is divided by a dividing wall portion (not shown) (located parallel to the walls 3) into two component containers each of identical construction. In the description which now ensues reference will be made only to a single container it being clearly understood that the description equally applies to the multiple container shown in the drawings. Formed in the lower wall 3 of the container ad jacent the open end thereof is a transverse rib 4 which extends parallel to and slightly spaced away from the outer edge 5 of the container frame 1. Formed adjacent the rib 4 in the edge portions of the walls 2 are a pair of aligned apertures 5a.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 2 of the drawings for a description of the constituent parts of a component container.

As seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 a rectangular tray 6 is provided with side walls 7 and a floor portion 8. The tray 6 is open at both ends but is provided at a rear end thereof with a pair of inwardly directed abutments 9.

A rectangular cover member 10 having an opening handle 11 is provided at either end thereof with a pair of sector-like brackets 12 directed normally to the plane of the cover member 10. An elongated fixing pin 13 is adapted to extend through aligned apertures formed in the lower corners of the sector-like brackets 12. The cover member 10 can be coupled to the container frame 1 when both sector-like brackets are inserted just inside and between the side walls 2 of the container frame and the elongated pin 13 is passed through the apertures 5a formed in the cover frame and the apertures formed in the lower comers of the sectorlike brackets 12.

A weighted elongated pusher bar 14 whose lowermost surface (not shown) is provided with a frictional coating (not shown) is coupled at either end thereof, by means of articulated couplings 15, to the brackets 12. Each articulated coupling 15 comprises a first elongated lever 16 which is pivotally coupled at one end thereof to the bracket 12 and at the other end thereof, via a pivot pin 17 to a second lever 18 rigidly secured to an end of the pusher bar 14. As can be seen in the drawings the bars 16 and 18 of each coupling 15 are located on either side of the tray side wall 7 whilst the pivot pin 17 rides on the upper edge of the side wall 7. A tension spring 19 is coupled at one end to an intermediate portion of the lever 16 and at an opposite end to a corner of the floor portion 8 of the container 6.

When the container is to be used to store and dispense photographic material such as photographic sheets the outside walls of the container are formed of a light non-transmitting material and the edges of the displaceable portions of the container are so constructed that when the container is closed no light can enter it.

The constituent parts of the container are assembled within the container frame the container tray 6 being pushed into the opening shown in FIG. 1 riding on the rib 4 until it has been pushed home beyond the rib 4 whereupon the container tray 6 drops slightly and its removal from the container frame is arrested by its abutting the rib 4. The cover member 10 is assembled in position by means of the elongated pin 13 in the manner described above.

With the sheets 20 located in the tray the dispensing of each sheet takes place as follows. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings the cover member 10 is pivoted downwardly so as to open the container and as a result of this downward pivotal movement the articulated coupling 15 is slightly withdrawn from the container against the biassing effect of the spring 19. In view of the fact that the movement of the coupling is constrained, on the one hand, as a result of the pivot pin 17 riding on the upper edges of the side walls 7, and on the other hand, as a result of their abutting the upper wall 3 of the container'frame 1, the downward movement of the cover member 10 is accompanied by a simple translational movement of the coupling 15 and its associated levers 16 and 18 in the direction of the cover member. This translational movement is accompanied by a corresponding translational movement of the pusher bar 14 and in view of the frictional contact of the pusher bar 14 and the uppermost sheet 20 and the low frictional resistance to movement between the upper sheet 20 and the subsequent sheet the uppermost sheet 20 is pushed out of the container and can be readily removed. The return motion of the cover member under the influence of the tensioning spring 18 results in a return movement of the pusher bar 14 to its initial position.

In this way each opening movement of the cover member 10 results in the dispensing of a single sheet. When all sheets have been so dispensed reloading of the container with fresh sheets for dispensing can take place .as follows: with the cover member pivoted downwardly the tray is partially withdrawn from the container frame after having been initially raised so as to clear the rib 4. As seen in FIG. 5 of the drawings this partial withdrawal of the tray results in the side abutments 9 of the tray passing below the levers l8 and raising these levers and their associated pusher bar 14 into a raised position. In this position the tray can be easily reloaded with sheets to be stored and dispensed. Upon pushing the tray fully back into the container frame the levers 18 and the pusher bar 14 are no longer maintained in their elevated position by the abutments 9 and the pusher bar falls into weighted, frictional contact with the uppermost sheet, the cover member closes and the container is once more loaded with sheets such as photographic paper which can be stored and dispensed as desired.

Where the container is designed to store and dispense photographic paper sheets a portion of the container such as, for example, the cover member can be formed of a suitable see-through material which nevertheless filters out light which could expose the paper and render it useless.

Where upon opening the cover member either accidentally or so as to observe the amount of paper being stored a sheet is pushed out, the closing of the cover member results in that sheet being restored to its initial position within the container.

Whilst the invention has been specifically described with reference to a double component container, the invention is equally applicable to single or multi component containers.

It will be readily appreciated that the container just described in accordance with the present invention constitutes a simple and effective storage and dispensing means for sheets such as photographic film.

I claim: 1. A sheet storage and dispensing unit comprising:

an enclosure frame, including enclosure frame walls;

guides associated with said enclosure frame walls;

a tray slidably displaceable in said guides and being adapted to contain sheets to be dispensed, said tray comprising a floor portion and side wall portions;

a tray closure member pivotally mounted with respect to the enclosure frame and adapted. together with the enclosure frame to enclose the tray completely;

sheet pusher means biased towards said floor portion;

articulated coupling means for coupling the closure member to the sheet pusher means so that pivotal movement of the closure member results in a translational movement of the pusher means;

spring biasing means for coupling the tray to the articulated coupling means so as to spring load the tray in the direction of the closure member upon pivotal opening movement of the closure member; and

abutment means associated with said guides against which said tray is normally biased and with respect to which said tray is manually displaceable so as to clear the abutment means thereby allowing for outward displacement of the tray under its spring loading.

2. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said articulated coupling means comprises a coupling lever, first coupling means for pivotally coupling one end of said lever to said closure member and second coupling means for pivotally coupling an opposite end of said lever to said sheet pusher means, said second coupling means engaging edges of said side wall portions, said spring biasing means coupling said tray to an intermediate portion of said coupling lever.

3. A unit according to claim 2 wherein said tray is furthermore provided, at a rearward end thereof with an end portion means transversely directed with respect to said side wall portions for engaging, said pusher means and displacing it away from said floor portion upon said outward displacement of said tray.

4. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said pusher means is biased towards said floor portion under gravity.

5. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said pusher means is provided with a friction surface.

6. A unit according to claim 1 for storing and dispensing photographic paper and wherein all external surfaces are formed of opaque material and are effectively light sealed.

7. A unit according to claim 6 wherein said external surface includes a transparent window formed of a light filtering material. 

1. A sheet storage and dispensing unit comprising: an enclosure frame, including enclosure frame walls; guides associated with said enclosure frame walls; a tray slidably displaceable in said guides and being adapted to contain sheets to be dispensed, said tray comprising a floor portion and side wall portions; a tray closure member pivotally mounted with respect to the enclosure frame and adapted, together with the enclosure frame to enclose the tray completely; sheet pusher means biased towards said floor portion; articulated coupling means for coupling the closure member to the sheet pusher means so that pivotal movement of the closure member results in a translational movement of the pusher means; spring biasing means for coupling the tray to the articulated coupling means so as to spring load the tray in the direction of the closure member upon pivotal opening movement of the closure member; and abutment means associated with said guides against which said tray is normally biased and with respect to which said tray is manually displaceable so as to clear the abutment means thereby allowing for outward displacement of the tray under its spring loading.
 2. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said articulated coupling means comprises a coupling lever, first coupling means for pivotally coupling one end of said lever to said closure member and second coupling means for pivotally coupling an opposite end of said lever to said sheet pusher means, said second coupling means engaging edges of said side wall portions, said spring biasing means coupling said tray to an intermediate portion of said coupling lever.
 3. A unit according to claim 2 wherein said tray is furthermore provided, at a rearward end thereof with an end portion means transversely directed with respect to said side wall portions for engaging, said pusher means and displacing it away from said floor portion upon said outward displacement of said tray.
 4. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said pusher means is biased towards said floor portion under gravity.
 5. A unit according to claim 1 wherein said pusher means is provided with a friction surface.
 6. A unit according to claim 1 for storing and dispensing photographic paper and wherein all external surfaces are formed of opaque material and are effectively light sealed.
 7. A unit according to claim 6 wherein said external surface includes a transparent window formed of a light filtering material. 